We celebrate St. Gianna Beretta Molla’s feast day on April 28th, and for the St. Gianna Program this is a pretty special day. While most of the women living with us are not Catholic, we use the opportunity to share the story of our patron saint. St. Gianna, having been a wife and mother, is in so many ways a very relatable saint. She offers a beautifully simple example of living a holy life in the regular, day to day events. She is also a source of inspiration as a dedicated mother, which is something that just about all of our residents can relate to.
Typically, sharing her story includes giving out prayer cards with an image of St. Gianna, and a short run through of her story and why she’s so special to us! This year, we were excited to host Bishop Conley, who celebrated Mass for us as we filled the day with God’s love guided by St. Gianna’s example.
In addition to sharing about St. Gianna, it gives us a reason for a little party! At the home, we take advantage of any excuse to celebrate with our families - even in very simple ways. Building community is a big part of what we do. We invited the whole house down to the community room, and provided snacks while offering a time for everyone to connect. It is so much fun to see the children play together and allow the moms the chance to gather together.
St. Gianna’s feast day is one of our more laid-back events, but it is one that is very dear to my heart. As Gianna was beatified by Pope John Paul II during the international Year of the Family, everything about her story calls us to holy and healthy families. We couldn’t ask for a better guide for our St. Gianna Program’s mission.
